This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity).” For the last couple of months we have studied the life of Joseph. I trust you enjoyed it. Now that we have pretty much walked through his entire story, let’s pause this morning so we can look back and glean a few more golden nuggets from Joseph’s life.
So what does this mean to you today? It means we should learn from those who have gone before us. If we were able to sit down and have a conversation with Joseph, these are some of the things I believe he would tell us:
1. God’s dream for your life is always far too big for you to accomplish without Him.
a) When God reveals His dream for your life (your destiny) it will almost sound too good to be true, but it is true. You job is to simply respond with, “I believe!”, “I receive!”, and “Thank you!”
b) God’s dream will always require God’s involvement. If it is something quick that you can do without Him, then it is more of an order or an instruction, then a dream. God’s dream will always be bigger than your ability.
c) God will not give you all the answers up front. This is why you need faith.
2. You will never fulfill your divine destiny if you are not willing to change.
a) Joseph had to leave his father’s home in order to experience Potiphar’s house, he had to leave Potiphar’s house in order to experience the prison, and he had to leave the prison in order to experience the palace as he operated as Prime Minister of Egypt. Every step of the way was important.
b) Change is necessary for progress, growth and increase. You cannot grow without changing.
c) Divine change is designed to process you for your divine destiny.
d) Divine change is designed to help you identify with your divine identity.
3. God will drive you to change in order to cut away the old and usher in the new.
a) Change is uncomfortable because it requires leaving the familiar for the unknown.
b) In order to maximize your purpose and potential you are going to have to become friends with the unfamiliar.
c) Everything in your psyche wants to remain in the familiar and everything in God’s psyche will push you into the unfamiliar.
d) You must become comfortable with a certain level of discomfort.
e) God leads you into the unknown so your total trust is in Him.
f) The process is designed to cut away things that will rob you of your success.
g) God will drive you to disengage with the activities and people that are not headed in your new direction. He does this because he knows that if you hold on to them, they will hold you back.
4. You will face opposition on the road to your destiny.
a) If God is going to use you mightily, then you should expect opposition. Satan is not going to idly sit by and watch God use you to change the world.
b) God can use the opposition to help develop and process you into the person He birthed you to be.
c) God often capitalizes on the trouble you face to teach you to rely on Him.
d) New growth requires change and it will involve both gains and losses. Many don’t experience the gains, because they are afraid of the losses.
d) The more you are developed the more you look like God. God’s goal is to get you to the point where people look at you and they actually see and hear Him!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. You made plans for me before the world began. Your plans are good plans; plans to bless me and use me for Your glory. As you reveal Your plans to me, honestly Father, they sometimes seem to good to be true. But I know they are true. I am a believer and not a doubter, so I accept Your plans by faith. My confession is: “I believe… I receive… and thank You!” I accept Your plans for my life. I accept them because You developed them by Your unearned grace. I then seek to pursue them with my faith. As I do, I know I will need to change. I know I will need to be developed. I know I will need to be processed. I am open to it. Walking with You requires constant change. You never let me get too comfortable. You are always pushing me to the next level, because You want me to be developed into the image of Your Son Jesus. By faith I declare that I will get the point — by being open to change and being willing to let go of people and places — where I am JUST LIKE JESUS. As Jesus is, so am I in this world. When people look at and listen to me, they will see and hear You! Not because of my goodness, but only because of Your grace. I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
